Disappearing Act
by NCIS Fan28
Summary: "What is this?" She asked as she held the box up to him. "Where did you find it?" He replied. "The washing basket," She said, "It is a ring."


**Yeah, so its been a while since I've written - let alone posted - anything. There are a few reasons for that. The most important one that will continue to affect my writing until the end of the year is that I'm doing my final year of school, and to get where I want to get it school takes priority over everything else. **

**Just a little background on this. I wrote it back in November and just finished refining and editing it, with that in mind, its set sometime in the future and assume everything but one factor mentioned in the before the second page break is canon.**

**So... Happy reading.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters. Mistakes are mine.**

* * *

The blue velvet box was flicked open by the force of his thumb squeezing at the sides, revealing the yellow gold ring. The thin band held a carefully crafted intricate pattern scattered with small diamonds until it reached the elegant diamond, perched not far above the band. The ring looked complicated, but it was by no means too showy.

"Oh, my god, Tony. It's beautiful," Abby gushed as she and McGee looked into the box seated on his desk.

Tony smirked a little wider. "You really think?" He asked. He was still unsure about the situation. Well, not the situation, but the choice of the ring.

"Yes, I think she'll absolutely love it," She said as she took the box from the desk.

"Even I have to admit that's pretty impressive," McGee added.

"So it should be. That stuff isn't expensive," Tony replied.

McGee took the box off Abby and peered into it himself, gaining a better look.

"Aren't men supposed to spend like two pay checks or something on an engagement ring?" Abby asked.

Tony shrugged. McGee handed him the box back, and he set it back on the desk, rubbing his finger over the largest diamond. "I don't really know. I didn't ask for the price, but I just know it wasn't cheap."

"When are you gonna ask her?" Abby asked, perching herself on his desk.

"I don't know," He replied. All he did know was that it was what he wanted, for him and Ziva to be together for as long as time permitted them. He hadn't planned anything beyond buying the ring. He had spoken to the people necessary. Gibbs, for one, her father for another. "I'm just going to make sure I have it at all times, and when she isn't too annoyed at me and the time feels right, I'll ask her. And hopefully she'll say yes."

"Did you speak to her father?" McGee said. Tony nodded. "How'd that go?"

He frowned, thinking back to the phone call that cost him way more than necessary because Eli was determined to make him wait.

"It was okay. I mean, he doesn't like me and he made that perfectly clear, and he spoke in metaphors - a lot. But he after a conversation that last almost two hours, he told me that as long as she was happy I could pretty much do whatever I want," Tony replied.

The familiar ding of the elevator announced the return of Gibbs and Ziva to the squad room. Tony snapped the lid of the box shut and shoved it in his pocket. The small group broke away. Abby excused herself and McGee returned to his desk.

Ziva froze at the corner of her desk. "Is everything okay?" She asked observing her friends' behaviour.

"Fine," Tony and McGee replied in at the same time. She looked between them. McGee didn't return eye contact, but Tony, on the other hand didn't take his eyes off her.

"Am I missing something?" She asked as a small frown worked its way onto her face.

"No," Tony replied before she finished talking.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you sure?" She asked.

"Positive." He smiled in return.

She slid behind her desk and dropped into her chair. Her suspecting eyes didn't leave Tony's for a minute.

* * *

"Are you sure there is nothing wrong?" Ziva asked as they walked side by side to his car.

"Yep, everything is fine in my life right now. I have the perfect job and you," He stated, "Why do you ask?"

She walked in silence for a moment. "Ever since I came back from being undercover three weeks ago, you have been acting strange. Is there something you are not telling me?" She repeated the question she had been asking for the last few days. He didn't like the assumption in her voice.

"I've just been thinking about my life," He said. He reached out to the door handle, pulling it open for her.

"And what is this?" She seemed to have reached a small breaking point, her patience running thin and knowing she was being kept in the dark. "You have never done this for me before. Are you trying to suck up to me? That is the expression, yes?"

Tony stared at her, disbelief and shock on his face. He didn't think such a small gesture would set her off. "Okay, then." He shut the door and made his way got the driver's side door. "Open it yourself," He snapped, "I'm sorry, I didn't realise that opening the car door for my girlfriend was a crime."

Her eyes softened, became less defensive. "Tony..." She begun but he was already in his seat, buckling his seatbelt and waiting for her. She took her seat and looked over to him. His eyes were focused on his hands in his lap as he fiddled with his keys.

"And I have done it for you before, multiple times. Once was on our first date," He murmured.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I just- I do not like been lied to-"

"I'm not lying to you," He insisted, meeting her eyes and gesturing defeat with his hands. He knew she had trust issues, but he didn't need to be defending himself against something that hasn't happened.

"I do not like secrets either," She added, ignoring his statement. He had his hand resting on the top of his leg. She reached out and took it. "Tony, I just want to know what is happening in your mind."

"Why? You never tell me what's happening in yours," He replied, turning his hand under hers and entwining their fingers.

The look in her eyes hardened, but her face remained soft while she refused to respond, choosing rather to change the topic. "Why are you re-evaluating your life now?"

"Because you're in it. Look, Ziva, sometimes you're just not meant to know things. I'll tell you when it matters. I promise," He swore, giving her hand a small squeeze.

"Okay," She replied after a brief moment of studying him, her eyes losing their wall.

The single, solitary word had more of an impact on him than he expected it to. She had just said she was 'okay' to the fact that she wasn't meant to know something that could ultimately affect her and their relationship. She was 'okay' for him tell her when he believed she was ready to know. He knew her mind went to places that were darker than reality, that it would cause her to hypothesise the worst case scenario. But that would make everything so much sweeter for her in the end.

Her simple 'okay' was a pledge of her trust in him, her faith that he wouldn't hurt her. He wasn't sure how long it had taken her to get to that point with him, and nor did he know whether she had been there with others. All he knew was that she was there now and he knew he was making the right choice.

He nodded as he slid the key into the ignition. "Okay," He repeated.

He removed his hand from under hers. "Now why don't we go home and watch a movie?" He asked.

"What about dinner?" Ziva asked, "What do you want?"

"Oh, no. You're not cooking. Not tonight. I have plans for you," He said.

"What kind of plans?" She questioned.

"You'll just have to wait and see," He replied, aware of her small, barely noticeable pout that was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"How about we order pizza. We can pick it up on the way," He suggested handing her his phone.

"The number will be in your history?" He murmured a yes, knowing she was already scrolling through the people he recently called.

"Tony?" She said, "Why have you made a call to an Israeli number?" She asked.

"I haven't," He lied, blindly grasping for his phone while he kept his eyes glued to the road. "The number for the pizza place is somewhere there."

Her thumb hovered over a number while she watched Tony intently.

* * *

The pizza box lay empty on the coffee table before them. Both had changed into clothing that was more comfortable and curled up together on the lounge. They engaged in meaningless conversations while the movie played in the background but half way through their third movie the conversations subsided and he could feel her breathing becoming deeper as she slipped into the realms of sleep.

He buried his face into the crook of her neck. "You're not paying any attention to this are you?" He questioned, rousing her from her half sleep state. She felt a smile spread across his face.

"Yes, I am," She stated, opening her eyes. "That guy shot the other guy."

He brought his lips to his ear to whisper the words to her. "That happened about twenty minutes ago." He returned his lips to the crook of her neck, kissing and nuzzling it.

"What?" She asked, feigning irritation but tilting her head so he had more access.

"Nothing. Much like the car door - I'm allowed to kiss my girlfriend," He said, kissing further up her neck and along her jaw. Kissing everywhere but her lips.

She pulled away from him, kneeling beside him on the lounge before she claimed his lips with hers. He felt her fall against him. He caressed her side, with one hand, his arm wrapping around her back while his other gently cradled her head. He eased her back against the lounge and she wrapped one of her legs around his waist, drawing him closer.

The movie continued to play in the background, the flickering TV only providing light.

Her fingers danced across his covered chest and her other hand rubbed his back, until it grabbed enough of the fabric of his shirt. They broke their increasingly heated kiss to pull it over his head.

He pulled back from her as she searched for his lips again. Leaving a small amount of space between them.

"I love you, you know that right," he stated.

"Mhmm," she murmured, "I love you, too," She added pressing her lips to his again.

His hand left her side as he patted down the pockets of his pants and his shirt, momentarily forgetting that he had changed when they had returned home.

He pulled further away, earning a look that lay on a line between disappointment and confusion from Ziva.

"What are you looking for?" She asked while he pushed her from the lounge and knelt before it, taking the cushions off and checking under the couch.

"Nothing," he murmured, standing up and hurrying to the bedroom. Ziva following close behind.

"Tony, do not nothing me! What is going on?" She demanded, he couldn't tell whether it was a unique fear in her voice or if she was just worried at his seemingly abrupt decision that whatever he was looking for was more important to him than spending time with her. "You do not usually pull away when we engage in any form of touching," She added.

He looked through the wash basket in the corner of the room, finding the day's clothes and checked each pocket.

"I thought I had something, but I must have left it at work." he said the thought out-loud.

"Okay, then," She said as she walked over to the bed, "Then forget about it for now and finish what you started." She seductively smirked as she lied down on the bed.

Tony didn't give her a second look as he hovered over her, kissing her with more passion than previous, but his mind stayed on the ring a moment longer, running through the last place he remember having it.

* * *

The next morning, he hovered over her body again. Simply admiring her peaceful features before he tried rousing her.

He kissed her forehead and her cheek before the corner of her lips and finally her lips.

He felt her kiss back and murmured a barely recognisable word, sounding slightly of 'what?'

"I'm going into work for a bit, I have to look for what I was last night. I'll be back in a bit," He whispered, kissing her cheek again as she rolled to her side.

As soon as he was out the door, he pulled the phone from his pocket and dialled McGee's number.

When he answered with a gruff: "Hello." It was clear he was asleep.

Tony barked a fake laugh before: "This prank isn't funny," He snapped.

"Tony, it's too early for this. What isn't funny?" McGee asked, frustration evident in his voice. Tony didn't check the time before he called McGee, and nor did he care at the particular moment.

"What did you do with the ring?" Tony demanded as he easily dodged the early morning traffic.

"The... You've lost the ring." McGee said as he caught on. It wasn't a question, simply an assumption he knew was right. Why else would have Tony rung that early. "How do you even do that?"

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you to give it back," Tony exclaimed.

"I haven't seen the ring since you showed me yesterday," McGee replied, "Look, I'm guessing you're on the way to the office. I'll meet you there in a while and we'll both look for it," He suggested.

Tony hung up, assuming McGee would understand.

When he arrived and walked up to the squad room, he was immediately faced with Abby.

McGee had not only understood, but he also called in his own backup.

"You lost the ring! How did you lose the ring?"

"I don't know, all I know is I went to ask her last night and couldn't find it. I'm not asking her without it. So in that perspective its better that I know it's missing now than in a few weeks when I decide to ask her. There's a better chance of me finding it now than a few weeks time," he said, taking a sip of his coffee which he had bought on the way and handing McGee his, "I'm sorry Abby, I didn't know you were coming, but can you please just start looking in your lab? McGee autopsy. I'll start in here."

* * *

Ziva emerged from the bedroom, a washing basket held at her hip and her phone held between her ear and her shoulder. She placed the basket of clothes for washing on the table and leant back against the bench while she waited for the kettle to boil.

"It was strange," She said to Abby over the phone.

Once again, Ziva felt as if she was a third wheel, maybe even a forth given the situation. Everyone except her seemed to be busy. Even Abby, who usually enjoyed their conversations, sounded absentminded, as if she wasn't entirely listening to Ziva.

"What?" Abby replied. Ziva sighed. It wasn't the first time that morning she had been asked to repeat herself.

"Is everything okay Abby?" Ziva asked, "You sound busy, I could call back later?" She suggested.

"No, no. Everything is okay," Abby amended, "What was strange?"

"Tony last night. We were watching a movie and then we were kissing and he just stopped. He started looking for something, but he didn't tell me what it was. And even after, after I had gotten his attention back, he just seemed else where," Ziva explained.

"Maybe he was having problems?" Abby said.

"What do you mean?" Ziva frowned and began filling her cup with her tea and the boiled water.

"Like maybe he was having trouble get-"

"Oh, no," Ziva said quickly, "I can assure you it was nothing like that."

Abby remained silent for a moment, but Ziva could still hear her rummaging through something. "If I asked you a question, would you tell me an honest answer?"

She heard the background noise from Abby's end of the phone stop. "Depends on your question."

"What were you and McGee and Tony talking about yesterday while Gibbs and I were out?" She asked.

"It's not going to be an honest answer," Abby stated, resuming what it was she was doing.

"Why?" Ziva asked, frustrated and confused.

"Because it didn't concern you," Abby stated.

Her statement was simple enough, but her words had a strange effect on her, seeming to hurt her, cut her.

"Oh," Ziva murmured, sounding deflated. She had assumed, perhaps naïvely that since the conversation broke when she arrived, that it had been about her – when it really could have been a range of things. "Okay. Well, uh, I have a few things to do here, and you sound busy still. I'll talk to you later."

"I didn't mean it like that, Ziva," Abby said.

"It is okay. I understand. Tony pretty much told me the same thing," Ziva replied, "I'll see you later," She added before hanging up.

She placed the phone on the bench and sipped her tea before she tipped the contents of the washing basket on the table.

She began separating the clothes into their colours and how they should be washed when something hit the floor with a dull thud. Stepping back, she looked around and under the table before she placed the articles of clothing she held and fell to her hands and knees, grabbing the box.

The box was a simple blue one. There was nothing standing out too much on it. She wasn't sure what it was, where it came from or how it got there.

She held it in her hands for a few moments before curiosity got the better of her. She pinched the top of the box and opened it just enough to peer through a crack and see what it held.

She retracted her hand away from it as if it had spontaneously combusted. It slipped from her hand and clattered to the floor again.

Her heart began beating fast in her chest. She picked it up, spinning it around in her hand but not opening it again. She took her phone from the bench and walked to the living area, placing the box on the coffee table and sitting back on the lounge.

The clothes on the table were forgotten about. Her stomach tightened and her hands shook as she dialled Tony's number.

She could only assume from what she had seen. And it was an engagement ring – a simple but beautiful ring at that, but she could only assume that it was going to be used to propose to her. But she COULDN'T assume that. Either way, she wasn't sure what to think or how to feel.

She pressed the phone to her ear as the line picked up. She heard Tony's cheerful greeting.

"Well, for someone who woke before me this morning, you are very cheerful," She stated, "Where are you?"

"Work. I told you that this morning," He replied.

"Oh, I just thought you would be finished by now," She said, "Have you found what you were looking for?" She asked.

"No, I don't know what I did with it. I don't really think that it's here anyway."

"What is it? Maybe if you tell me I can look for it here," Ziva suggested.

"No, no. It's okay. It's not really that important anyhow," He replied, quickly. A little quicker than she expected him to.

"Okay, how long are you going to be?" She asked, still eyeing the small blue box. A strange sense if relief washing over her, but she didn't know where it came from – if he was going to ask her, why would he tell her before hand. Maybe it was because he didn't tell her and a part of her mind decided that if he didn't mention it, it was yet to exist.

But still, she couldn't help but wander where the relief came from. She asked herself: was she ready to be married, assuming her assumption was right? Was she ready to make that commitment to him?

"I guess I could come home whenever." Defeat ran clear through his voice.

"Can you, please?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll be there soon," He said, "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I think so," She replied, "I'll see you when you get here."

She hit the hang up button and dropped the phone into her lap.

The answers to her questions were both yes. She had no doubt that deep down it was. But her own doubts and insecurities plagued her.

He said it was unimportant what he was looking for. Maybe the ring and its box weren't what he was looking for in the first place. Maybe it wasn't even his. Maybe he stole it.

He could have been holding on to it for a friend, but there was no way he'd steal it, but if it was for a friend, wouldn't he have told her so that they avoided this situation.

Her thoughts slowly turned from her to him. Was HE ready for that commitment? Or had he gotten the ring for another reason? Was he going to ask? Or was he holding on to it for a different time?

She didn't have the answers to these questions. Even if it wasn't an engagement ring, even if he wasn't going to ask, she could only have faith in him. Faith that he had the commitment to her, engagement or no engagement.

When the door opened, she didn't attempt to move from the lounge. She could hear him moving around the kitchen and dining area, placing the jacket he had on the back of one of the chairs at the table.

Only when he began walking towards her did she stand, taking the box off the coffee table as she did.

"Hi," He stated, "What's up?"

"What is this?" She asked as she held the box up to him. She could immediately identify the recognition in his eyes; it wiped any doubt that it wasn't his from her.

He reached for it, not taking his eyes off her. "Why ask? You've already looked," He said. He was assuming, of course, he wasn't there to witness it, but he knew he was right. She wouldn't have looked so spooked otherwise. She moved her hand away from him.

"Because I do not know what it means," She replied.

"Where did you find it?" He asked, changing the topic slightly.

"The washing basket," She said, "It is a ring," She prompted.

"Yes," He replied, catching her wrist and prying her fingers from the box. "I was, uh, going to ask you last night."

"Why didn't you?" She asked.

He walked to the lounge and took a seat, flipping the box in his fingers. "I couldn't find the ring. I was looking for it last night, I couldn't find it here. So I got up early and went to work, on the way I called McGee, he must have called Abby, and we all looked for it wherever we could remember me being. I was beginning to think it fell from my pocket while I was on the field," He explained. He seemed defeated. "It wasn't my plan to, you know, have you find out like this."

She took a seat beside him. "I do not need a ring, though it would be nice, I am happy where we are. I just need to know that you want to be here with me."

"Is that a 'no'?" He asked.

"No. I am just wondering whether you have thought this through. The first time you asked someone to marry you; they left you the night before your wedding. After that you spent years and years avoiding any kind of commitment," She replied, "Besides, I was not even aware that you were asking."

"Commitment to one person still scares me, Ziva, but not as much as it used to. I have thought this through and I want to stand next to while I try and get through this issue with commitment I have. I will never intentionally hurt you and I believe that you'd be the same towards me. And maybe the way I'm going to get through this is if I take a step further. Then I know that someone is always going to be there and I won't have to go looking for someone," He said.

Ziva was silent. "It will not be easy. In something like we have now, when we have had enough we can leave. Take our stuff and go. Being married is different, it will require more effort. On both of our parts."

"So that's a 'yes?" He asked.

"You have not asked me a question yet," She stated a small smirk told him she was teasing him, but the smirk quickly disappeared. "Tony, if you can't ask me, how can I believe that you are truly committed to this idea?"

He smiled and slide off the lounge to his knees, shuffling around until he knelt in front of her. He placed the box on the floor beside his knee and looked up into her eyes, sincerity shining through his green eyes.

"Ziva David," He began, his hands slid along the outer of her thighs before taking hold of her hands which sat in her lap. "Will you marry me?" He asked, his voice never faltering and his eyes never leaving hers.

She gave his hands a small squeeze. "Yes," She replied, a wide smile gracing her face.

He also wore a big smile as he took the box and removed the ring, sliding it on her left ring finger.

* * *

**Thanks for reading :)**


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